A DUNFERMLINE man is set to prove age is no barrier to realising your dreams when he competes at the European Championships – at 61.

Billy Bunyan, of Hailes Place, is ready to share the limelight with the continent’s best while representing Great Britain in triathlon on Saturday.

The sport is one of seven – with the others being athletics, aquatics, cycling, golf, gymnastics and rowing – that have been brought together as one event, with Glasgow hosting the majority of competitions.

While elite athletes like Olympians Alistair and Jonny Brownlee will go for gold tomorrow (Friday), Billy will have the chance to be part of the inaugural championships in the 60-64 male age group sprint triathlon at Strathclyde Country Park on Saturday, after finishing fourth at last year’s British championship.

Neighbour and pal Mike Harvey, together the duo won Scottish sprint and standard titles in their age categories last year, also qualified for the event but decided not to compete, and Billy joked: “I’ve got my GB vest first, so I’ve got the bragging rights!

“I’m excited and so pleased to get a GB vest; it’s an honour. One of the big things has been to get the tri-suit, because I was nowhere near ever getting a GB vest even during my running days. When this opportunity came up, there was no way I was turning it down.

“I finished fourth at the GB championship last year and that’s what qualified me. Just by chance, it was at Strathclyde Park and I was ecstatic, but I was so close to a medal. I was only passed on the last 20 metres for a bronze.

“The whole of the last year has been a whirlwind; I was double Scottish champion and, this year in the Scottish Sprint Championships, I was second as someone (Graham Whyte, Triathlon Inverness) moved up a category and took my title off me.

“To finish in the top 10 would be fantastic, and I’m hoping for anything round about one hour and 15 minutes for the distance.

“I’m looking forward to meeting everyone else and hearing their stories.”

A sprint distance triathlon takes in a 750m open water swim, a 20km bike ride and a 5km run, with elite athletes like the Brownlees set to cover double those distances.

Billy, who trains with Dunfermline Cycling Club and Perth Triathlon Club, added: “There are 46 in my category and it’s fantastic it has been incorporated into the European Championships.

“It makes it even bigger and will give people an idea of the standard, even in our age group.

“There are ex-Olympic swimmers competing in my category, who are still fantastic swimmers and never lose it, so it lets them (spectators) see what it’s all about.”

Billy, who along with Mike was a Dunfermline and West Fife Sports Council Awards nominee in February, will start his race at 11.30am.